A Game of Trust
by Talon Marlow
Summary: Kirk conducts an exercise among his crew to encourage faith in each other. Spock partners with his captain, realizing that placing absolute trust in another person is more difficult than it seems.


Author's Notes: Set at least a few months after the events of the movie. Friendships are still in the development phase. Because my last story was cracktastic, this one is a bit fluffier. And it comes in bite-sized installments! (Hint: If you really want me to write the next part, review and insist upon it. I have no shame in admitting that reviews encourage me to write more. I do my best to personally respond to each review I receive, as well.)

Disclaimer: Fortunately for them, none of these characters belong to me. Unfortunately for me, I'm not making any money from my endeavors.

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_A Game of Trust_

By J. M. Powell

"Captain, if you would please explain the purpose of this exercise." Spock's expression was neutral, but Kirk didn't miss the hint of skepticism in his tone.

Kirk flashed a grin at him as he stood behind Uhura, arms extended. "Not just so I can get my hands on the lieutenant, I promise," he quipped.

Her back still turned to him per his instructions, Uhura huffed. Several of the crew members who were gathered in the training room chuckled, but Kirk noted the way Spock's eyes tightened, almost imperceptibly. "Then what _is _the intended goal?" the first officer repeated.

"Trust, Mr. Spock." Kirk acknowledged his concerns with an assuring nod before turning his full attention to Uhura. "Lieutenant, close your eyes and fall back."

"I haven't played this game since I was eight years old," Uhura said, allowing herself to fall into Kirk's waiting arms.

He caught her easily and helped her back into a standing position. "I played it when I was a kid, too. Not much to it, but sometimes the simplest lessons take the longest to learn, I think." He paused, remembering the gray light of morning when he first looked upon the shuttles that would carry him away from Iowa, away to the stars. It seemed like a long time ago now.

"We have to be able to trust each other without hesitation," he continued. "In the heat of things, you need to know you can rely on your fellow crew, and they need to know they can rely on you. Pair up, and each time, let your partner fall an inch lower than before. Try not to stop yourself before your partner catches you."

The crew split into pairs and began the assignment, a few people plunking onto the mats that covered the ground as their partners underestimated their weight. There was light laughter as people switched around, matching up with others of similar build.

Uhura had moved to stand before Spock, and he was looking over her head in concern. "You will not be able to catch me," he said.

She glanced around for eavesdroppers before speaking, seeming to decide that Kirk didn't count. "I'd never let you fall," she whispered, and Kirk saw the Vulcan's hand twitch, as if he longed to reach out and touch her.

He didn't, however. "I recommend you partner with another female of equal size, Lieutenant."

Uhura glanced down at her feet, hiding a smile. "Yes, Commander," she answered, all business when she returned her gaze to his face. Her sharp eyes caught Kirk watching from nearby. "Perhaps the Captain is a better match for you." She gave Kirk a pointed look as she approached a young woman from engineering.

"Come on, Spock." Kirk waved him over. "I think I can handle you."

The corner of Spock's mouth was pinched, but he dutifully answered Kirk's beckon. "You will be catching me first, then?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, I've got you."

"I have no cause for worry, as the floor is cushioned whether you successfully perform your role or not." Spock stood in front of him, and on Kirk's count of three, allowed himself to descend backward with a certain grace the human participants didn't seem to possess. (Even as Kirk made this observation, Scotty fell to the floor with a hard _plop _nearby, and he and Sulu both erupted with laughter. )

Despite Spock's inherent elegance in motion, Kirk did not miss the way his left foot scuffed forward the moment before Kirk gripped him under the arms. "You thought I wouldn't catch you," Kirk said. "I didn't let you drop back that far."

"I assure you that scenario never crossed my mind," Spock said, sounding sincere. "Though I admit, I found it difficult to subdue my instinctual reaction to a fall."

Kirk smiled in understanding. "Harder than it looks, isn't it?" He swatted Spock's shoulder, a friendly gesture that didn't seem to annoy the stoic Vulcan as much as it once did. "Let's switch. "

Spock caught Kirk each time he fell, strong arms righting him as if he weighed no more than a child. Kirk had never in his life felt any hesitance when it came to taking risks, so he was a natural at this game; he dropped backwards like dead weight, no matter how long his partner let him fall. Of course, Spock had to be convinced to let him descend more than a couple of inches.

When they switched back to their original positions, with Kirk catching and Spock falling, Kirk's display of implicit faith in his first officer seemed to have steeled Spock's determination to succeed in the exercise. "I leave the duration of my fall up to your discretion, Captain," he said, glancing over his shoulder to meet Kirk's eyes. "I will endeavor to make no movements this time."

"It's okay, Spock," Kirk assured him, waiting until the other man turned back around to smile. "Just do your best."

Spock's foot didn't move across the floor this time, but the same traitorous leg still gave an involuntary twitch, even though Kirk didn't let him fall more than an inch. Kirk gripped his arms and nudged him fully upright, and he felt Spock's shoulders droop.

"I apologize, Captain. I hope you do not feel my behavior indicates a lack of trust in you."

Kirk could hear the masked frustration in his voice. "Hey, don't worry about it. You're doing great. Want to keep working on it?"

Spock nodded, his mouth set as if the exercise were of life-or-death imperative. Kirk could tell he was taking it more seriously than most of the crew. While several pairs were still practicing, some letting their partners fall nearly to the floor before swooping in to save them, a small group was daring each other to drop stiffly onto the mat without any pretense of being caught. Scotty and Sulu were members of this innovative cluster, and when Kirk caught Scotty's eyes, attempting a stern frown, Scotty's look of wild amusement caused him to look away before the engineer could see him laugh.

Spock didn't seem to notice any of the tomfoolery that surrounded them. He stood perfectly still, hands crossed over his chest, waiting in silence for the captain's count.

Kirk repeated the exercise with him several times, and Spock slowly seemed to conquer his rebellious survival instinct. After a few tries, his leg stopped twitching, and after a few more, Kirk could feel the tension under his arms subside. He gradually let Spock fall farther backward, catching him in a solid grasp each time.

"This has been an interesting exercise, Captain," Spock said at length. "I admit, I didn't expect it to be productive, but I feel I have learned from it."

Well damn, that was as good as glowing praise from Spock. Kirk nearly beamed with pride. "Good work, Spock. Good work, everyone," he called to the room at large. He eyed Scotty and Sulu as he amended, "Well, most of you, anyway. You all go to the mess hall and relax. Next shift, you report for duty in fifteen minutes."

There was chattering and light laughter as people filed out of the room, recalling their more humorous incidents. Kirk smiled to himself overhearing them. And then he had a really, really stupid idea, one that he would spend several days kicking himself over.

"Hey Spock," he called as Spock stepped away. "One more round?"

Spock returned to him, turning his back and waiting for Kirk's count.

"One," Kirk said. Heh. This was gonna be so funny.

Spock folded his arms over his chest.

"Two." Yeah, this would be hilarious. They'd laugh over this for days.

Spock's feet rocked slightly.

"Three."

Spock descended backward, and Kirk deftly moved to the side.

What happened next was inevitable, and even intentional, but for some reason it surprised Kirk all the same, and it seemed to last an unusually long time, even though it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. Spock fell, and fell, and fell, and Kirk saw the muscles in his jaw clench as he tried to keep himself from moving. Somewhere in the distance, Uhura's voice yelled "_Kirk!_", and Spock's eyes flew open, and the look in them made Kirk's stomach flip, and Spock was still falling, God, why hadn't he hit the damn mat yet--

"Don't!" Kirk heard himself yell without realizing he had opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late. Spock's arm flew out to catch himself, and all of his weight crashed down on one slender wrist.

Uhura shoved past him to get to Spock, her face ablaze with indignation. "Kirk, you stupid, worthless son of a--"

"_Nyota_," Spock interrupted, glancing at her in disapproval.

"God, Spock, I'm so sorry," Kirk gushed as he joined her, kneeling down beside his first officer. "I'm such an idiot. I don't know why I did that--"

"Neither do I," Spock said quietly, and Kirk's stomach did another tumble.

"Because you're an ass," Uhura snapped, earning her another stern look from Spock.

"It's inappropriate to address the captain in such a way," Spock said, and it almost made Kirk angry that he was defending protocol instead of lashing out at him.

"I just thought it might be funny, you know," he said, the words sounding lame even to his own ears.

"I understand. Humans have a primitive appreciation of physical comedy." There was a stinging note of judgment in Spock's voice as he rose, and his mouth was set in a hard line, but his dark eyes were laden with confusion and betrayal. He experimentally rolled his wrist. "It seems I've suffered a minor sprain. Though I doubt its severity, I'm sure Doctor McCoy will insist I have it examined."

"I'll come with you, " Uhura offered, sending Kirk a venomous glare that let him know he wasn't invited.

"I'm so, so sorry," Kirk said again.

"I take no personal offense, Captain," Spock said, though his all-too-human eyes indicated otherwise. "I do, however, wonder at your intentions. You said the goal of this exercise was to build trust, was it not?"

Kirk mouthed, but no words came out, so he nodded.

Spock's brow furrowed. "Most illogical," he murmured, and Uhura led him through the door of the training room, disappearing into the adjacent corridor.

_Man. _Kirk stood rooted to the spot, hanging his head. Things had been going so well. Leave it to his infantile sense of humor to screw things up. _Worst. Captain. Ever. _


End file.
